The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The International Rescue Committee has been working in Somalia since 2006, providing essential services to conflict and disaster-affected communities. The IRC has been operational in South Central (Mudug, Galgadud, Banadir and Nugaal) regions of Somalia, implementing interventions in the areas of Livelihood, WASH and Health, GBV, Governance and Rights reaching out to more than 200,000 conflict and drought-affected population in these regions.

Scope of Work

The Finance officer responsibilities include being overall responsible for all field finance operations, meaning close monitoring of all financial activities, and keeping the Field Manager and the Deputy Director of Finance advised of all situations which have the potential impact on internal controls or financial policies and procedures. Ensuring compliance of the donor rules and regulations and IRC’s policies and procedures. The FO will manage grants, bank and Cash, review of financial documents to ensure they are fully supported, cash flow and forecast management.

Specific Responsibilities:

Field Office Overall Management

• Monitor cash balances in the field offices to ensure adequate reserves at all times
• Submit field office cash forecast by the 25th of every month
• Prepare Mid & End of month field financial reports. Ensure the soft and hard copies reports are received by the 15th & 30th except for fiscal year end.
• Prepare and submit to HR the personnel deductions on staff program advances and other advances that are outstanding.
• Ensure that the advance policy is adhered to. 5 working days upon return and deduction for those outstanding for more than 30 days.
• Ensure staff have no more than one advance at any given time.

Budgeting, Reporting & Grant management

• Receive the monthly BvAs review, advise on any required recodes and participate in the BvA review meeting.
• Advise and verify on correct coding based on the budget and ensuring that costs are charged to budget line with available funding in INTEGRA system.
• Attend all grant meetings including grant opening, grant closing and interim meetings.
• Closely monitor grants to ensure that they are not over/underspent.
• Be available to travel to the field with program team when required.
• Ensure that grant accruals are submitted for the closing grants and liquidated within the donor liquidation period.
• Review accruals at grant closure and prompt liquidation of these

Document review & control

• Verify correct coding of expenditure on all payment requests, Purchase Orders and Purchase Requests up to $ 5,000.
• Ensure completeness and accuracy of supporting documents attachment on payment requests
• Verify original documents for cash for work, cash grants and food vouchers before they are submitted to Nairobi office.
• Ensure adherence to the delineation chart for all authorizations on payment and purchase requests
• Oversee the payment turn-over period to avoid delays in handling requests submitted to finance
• Ensure delegation of Authority approved copy is attached to the payment requests.

Bank and Cash Management

• To be the contact person for bank correspondence. Inform the Field Manager and the Deputy Director of Finance of any anomalies.
• Maintain USD petty cash at the set limits; take responsibility of any cash differences arising.
• Ensure that all petty cash payments are properly supported and duly authorized per the IRC delineation schedule before disbursement.
• Ensuring that authorizations on the payments requests are in line with the approved limits per the delineation chart
• Perform the petty cash counts and ensure that they are filed.
• Devise a cash replenishment schedule to minimize day to day visit to the bank
• Ensure all cash received is duly receipted, coded and promptly banked
• Maintaining the receipt book and ensuring that authorized receipts are issued upon receipt of monies

Filing

• Oversee proper and systematic filing of all payment requests
• Prior to filing, ensure that all document have been stamped ‘PAID’ including the cash payment reference no. details
• Maintain an organized and well-documented (all files must be labeled properly and visibly) and sequential filing system for all cash disbursement vouchers

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in Finance/Business Administration with minimum CPA II qualification

Required Experience & Competencies:

• At least three years of finance and accounting experience in a similar post;
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software. SUN System accounting is an added advantage;
• Ability to work independently in a rapidly changing professional environment with a view towards establishing administrative procedures and protocol that will ensure optimal functioning of the operation;
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills;
• Ability to work in and as a team.